Old Family Portraits
by Mickie101
Summary: What if Jack-Jack wasn't saved at the end of the Incredibles? Would the family be the same? This tells the story of what happened thirteen years later. NEW CHAPTER
1. Pretend

**Hey! This is my first fanfic, so feel free to comment. AU set thirteen years after the end of the first movie.  
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**Disclaimer: I do not own the Incredibles if I did there would be a second movie. **

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"_Hi, this is Kari. Sorry for freaking out, but your baby has special needs. Anyway, thanks for sending the replacement..." Mrs. Incredible clenched the phone closer to her ear. _  
"_Replacement? I didn't call for a replacement," she said. She and Mr. Incredible shared a worried glance. They rushed out of the limo, Violet and Dash at their heels. Mr. Incredible knocked the door off its hinges. All of a sudden, they couldn't move. _  
"_Shh... the baby is sleeping." A cackle erupted from the speaker's voice. They gasped or at least they would have if they could move. Jack-Jack was in the hands of none other than the villainous Syndrome, and all they could do was watch. He was saying something, but they weren't were much too worried about Jack-Jack. He kept the zero-energy ray trained on them, while he backed slowly away. He took an ibomb from his wrist, lingering over the dot before pressing it. He cackled, madly. _  
Beep Beep BeepBeepBeeBeB BAM!  
_An explosion of heat hit their bodies, but that was it. The Incredibles had been freed just in time for Violet to make a force field. _  
"_That's my girl," Mrs. Incredible said, voice cracking. _  
Pop!

_Their heads swung in the direction of the noise. It was just some kid on a tricycle. _

"_That was totally wicked!" he yelled. _

_If only it were. Mrs. Incredible leaned into Mr. Incredible and began to sob. _

"_We'll find him," Mr. Incredible assured her. _

_Syndrome was long gone and so was Jack-Jack. Their house had been destroyed. All that was left was the family portrait at their feet. They all looked so happy, so whole. They would never be that way again..._

13 years later...

Violet gazed at the family portrait that they had taken so long ago. Her mother had saved it despite everything. It gave her hope, just as it it did Violet. It was a reminder of the good times. Helen hoped that Jack-Jack would one day come back. Violet had long since given up that belief. Her hope was that one day the family could be restored.

"Hey, honey. How's it going?" Helen's voice knocked her out of her trance. Violet shrugged. She led her to the couch, where two glasses had been set out. She picked up her a glass of lemonade, and sipped gingerly. It was almost normal.

"Any news?" Helen asked. It was a simple question, but it carried so much weight for Helen.

Violet shook her head, "No."

Her mother seemed to deflate in her chair. Thirteen years and it still hurt when Violet relayed this information. Worry had taken years off of her mother. Her mother's hair was streaked with gray and frizz.

"How is Dash?" she asked.

"Good. He's doing good," Violet lied. Helen knew it, but she never called her out on it. She needed to hear that Dash was doing well. She needed to hear something good. She needed to pretend that there was something good in her life, to pretend that there was any hope that Jack-Jack was alive. That's why she never left her house. Helen thought that if she kept to her house, she would be able to stay away from the truth that the outside world brought with it. Maybe one day she would leave her house, but for now, she was happy just to have Violet visit and play this game of pretend with her. The truth was that Violet needed it too.

"How is Bob?" Helen asked. She took a sip of her glass as though it was normal to ask of her ex-husband.

"He's good. He and Mirage are good," Violet replied. There was a long silence as they both drank from their glasses.

"It's his fault," her mother said, words dripping with venom. Violet remained quiet. She decided it wasn't a great time to tell her that Mirage and Bob were getting married later that day. She knew not to interrupt her mother when she got into these moods. "He just couldn't give it up. He shouldn't get to be good!" She threw her glass at the wall over Violet's head. Violet put a small force field to protect herself from the broken glass. Lemonade slid down the force field's walls.

"He should be gone, not Jack-Jack," she whispered and rolled herself into a ball. Violet knew it was time to leave. It would be hours before her mom got out of this funk. It was times like these when the game of pretend just wasn't enough. Her mother had lost so much. Her husband, her sanity, her home, and her youngest son. She deserved to get something back. What good was being a super when she couldn't even help her own mother?

Violet sighed and slipped on her mask.

_13 years ago..._

_"We found it around the location of the island you gave us. The whole island was coated with lava. The volcano must have erupted," Rick Dicker reported. He had the old men in black vibe going on. His thick eyebrows hung low. He looked older than usual. He sounded almost sad._

_Rick held out a singed binky. Helen grabbed on to Bob._

_"Well, then we have to go look there."_

_"We have. For weeks and nothing. The whole island is ruin. We have to assume..." he trailed off. "I'm sorry."_

_Rick wished it wasn't true, but the evidence couldn't be ignored. He liked the Parr's, always had._

_"No! We have to look for him," Helen cried._

_"Helen..." Bob started. She broke away from him._

_"Don't Helen me! This is our son!" She searched his eyes. "You're giving up, aren't you?"_

_"Jack-Jack is gone and he isn't coming back," Bob said, not looking in her eyes._

_"Who are you? Where is the man who wouldn't give up what he loved even at the price of his family?"_

_"He's still here."_

_"No, he isn't. He's been gone since the day Jack-Jack went missing."_

_She walked away, and Bob let her._

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**Next chapter we'll see what happened to Dash. **


	2. Bolt

**What did Jack-Jack's death do to Dash? **

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Incredibles**

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_7 years ago..._

_Dash-well dashed out of the house. He was glad to get out of that place. Ever since Violet had went off to college everything was so boring and... slow! Being a speedster, everything seemed to drag on for ages, school, traffic, his track team, his mom and dad's arguments, and even worse their silences. He just couldn't take it anymore. Screw being normal and secret identities! He needed to get out and get out now. He ran out of the house, not knowing where he was going only that he was going and fast. _

_Dash was moving so fast that he almost missed the flashing blue and red lights. Police cars! Yes, hero time! He ran in the direction he thought the police cars were going. He passed another set of police cars, and another, and another, and another. Hot Lightning, that was a lot of backup! He couldn't help, but send kudos to whoever was behind all this police attention. _

_Dash spotted a familiar looking car speeding down the highway miles in front of the police cars. He closed the distance in less than a second. _

_He stopped right in front of the mustard yellow mustang. The guy in the car obviously wasn't a very experienced driver because he slammed on the brakes and swerved to the right. The mustang flew, flipping right over Dash. The masked driver and Dash locked eyes. Well, it was too late to regret not suiting up. Dash smirked and ran out of the way a split second before the car landed in the space that he had just left. Score one the Dash. Score zero the Other Guy. _

_The guy pulled himself from the wreckage. _

"_That was totally wicked!" he screamed. _No way.

"_Trikey?" The bandit popped his gum in response. There was no mistaking it was him. Trikey's actual name was Mikey, but everyone in the neighborhood called him Trikey. It was a shout out to the tricycle that the kid used to ride around when he was younger. _

"_All the police in the city are tailing you. What did you do?" Dash failed to keep the admiration out of his voice. _

_Trikey shrugged. _

"_I stole my Pop's car and a few bucks." _

"_Why?" He still couldn't understand how such a cute little kid could turn into such a loathing teenager. _

"_I don't know. Haven't you ever wanted to piss your parents off and just run?" _

_Dash knew the feeling. He glanced at the car. Bills were flowing out of it. It was a pity all that money had to go to waste. _

"_I know something that would really piss my parents off," Dash grinned to himself. _

_He picked up some of the money, grabbed Trikey and did what he did best- dashed. _

Now...

Dashiell Robert Parr zipped back to the getaway car. Hundred dollar bills leaving a trail behind him. Robbing that bank was easier than he expected. It was the third trip and not one alarm went off.

"7 and a half seconds," Trikey mumbled from under the glove compartment.

"Damn it," Dashiell said. He would have been faster if it hadn't been for the huge bags of money weighing him down. Trikey seemed to be about halfway done with the job. He thought by now Trikey would be somewhere close to done with hot wiring the car. Of course they had a solid ten minutes before anyone even realized the money was missing, but it's always good to have a cushion. Cushion or not, he just hated sitting there. Sensing his mounting anticipation, Trikey looked up from his work.

"Why don't you do a perimeter check or something?" he suggested.

Dashiell couldn't get out of there faster. He darted in and out and around and around. He didn't find anything worth taking a closer look at, so he headed back. Just as he was about to reach the car, he slammed into an invisible wall. That could only mean one thing.

"Trikey, it's nice that you've finally moved on to four wheels, but you really should buy your own," his sister said.

"And you _really_ should work on your fight banter," Trikey shot back. As Dash rubbed his head, he whooped for his friend.

"Violet!" Dashiell yelled. It broke her concentration for just enough time for him to slip through the force field and right next to Trikey.

"Dash," she greeted him, curtly.

"That's not my name and you know it. It's Bolt now," he said. He gestured down to his costume. It was a dark navy blue with multiple bolts of lightning running down the center. "I see you still haven't dropped the old pajama suit."

Violet still wore the red spandex that Edna had tailored for her all those years ago.

"To be honest, I'm surprised you still fit it," he teased. Violet ignored him.

"I can't believe you had the balls to try something so idiotic in broad daylight. God, Dash, when are you finally going to get some brains. You're 23, it's time you start taking responsibility," she scolded him. Dashiell tuned out. Yada Yada Yada. It was the same every time. "You know, now I have to take you in."

"Like you could catch me." She threatened him with that every time she caught him stealing which was a lot. Why she took the time out of her precious day to personally track down her little brother? He didn't know.

"I meant little Trikey here."

Dashiell tried to grab Trikey quickly, but there was a force field. Dashiell cursed under his breath.

"Nice try, you little insect," Violet smirked.

"Give him to me!"

"Look, this chick, got me so-" Trikey was cut off by Violet's fist. She turned back to Dashiell.

"Now where were we?" She'd never done that before.

Dashiell backed away. He would come back to get Trikey later. He tried to run away, but backed up into another invisible wall.

"Not yet. I need to talk to you," Violet said, her voice softening into the Violet he knew. "What are you doing later today?"

He caught her drift. When in costume, they had to talk in code. She was talking about the wedding. He noticed the glimmer of desperation in her eyes. He knew this look. Back when they were kids, she would always have these crazy schemes that would supposedly fix mom and dad's marriage. It was pathetic like a kid holding on to the belief that Santa Claus still existed.

"Nothing that concerns you," he replied. He knew it was harsh, maybe even a little mean. It would've been worse if he had let her believe that there was a chance that this family was ever getting back together. For Lightning's sake, look at him! He was a villain now. Dad was getting married. It was time to move on, or else end up like Mom. Though Dashiell and his sister weren't on the best of terms, he would hate to see her holed up in a house like mom.

"Oh." That was all she said. Then she left. She had taken the money, but leftTrikey.

On second thought, crashing a wedding didn't sound so bad.

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**A/N: I based this chapter off of the scene in the beginning of the Incredibles with Elastigirl and Mr. Incredible . **

**Next chapter will have Syndrome (duhn duhn duhnnnn).**


	3. Training

**This Chapter has to do with Syndrome and his evil plans (MWAHAHAHA)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Incredibles. **

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_13 years ago..._

_Syndrome hovered over the island before collapsing on the beach. He figured he had just enough time to pack a few belongings. It was only a matter of time before the Incredipshits reported in where his lair was. He kicked the sand and let out a slew of curse words. Just when he thought he had settled down, another round came out. He was angry at himself. So many years of planning all gone to waste in a matter of moments. Where had he gone wrong? Where hadn't he gone wrong? Syndrome looked down at his little bundle. He was sort of kind of maybe just a little bit cute. He'd rather cut his tongue out than ever say that out loud. He laid Jack-Jack down and watched as the kid teetered and tottered. Maybe he hadn't failed completely. He still had the kid. It's one thing to lose a child, but it's another thing completely to see him grow up into a monster. They would be devastated. Syndrome laughed maniacally. _

_The ground beneath his feet began to rumble. The volcano! The lava began to shoot out of the volcano. Syndrome scooped him up and began to run. The baby began to cry. His binky had fallen out. Syndrome jammed his finger in the kid's mouth. He didn't have time to look for a dumb binky. He tried flying, but his boots could only slightly hover. He must have used all the energy on the trip. He desperately needed to get out of there and of course his damned boots weren't working. He glanced around. There was a boat. _

"_How convenient? First the baby, now this," Syndrome tried not to think about it too much. He climbed into the boat. There was plenty of food and supplies. Someone had been preparing for a journey. A woman scrambled up the bank. Her platinum blond hair billowing behind her. Mirage. _

"_Syndrome," she seemed surprised, guilty almost. She leaned in to kiss him. Why would she have to be guilty? It dawned on Syndrome. He had been stupid and careless. He should have killed the bitch when he had a chance. There was only one way the Incredibles could have gotten back to the mainland so fast. That was by rocket. Only two people knew the password to access the autopilot and he highly doubted they knew how to fly it themselves. Matter of fact, only two people knew how to set the lair to self destruct. He was one and Mirage was the other. _

"_I loved you," he said. He slowly pushed the boat away from the bank. Mirage's eyes widened as she fell into the water face first. _

"_No. Don't leave me here!" she begged. "Please!"_

_Syndrome turned on the motor. _

_Present Day..._

Jackson laid hit after hit into the large slab of meat. Each hit sent a ricochet of sound off the walls of the basement. The steak was going to be very tender tonight. He was in the zone, if he did say so himself. He allowed his mind to go completely blank.

Hit.

Hit.

Hit.

Hit.

Hit.

Hit.

Hit.

The meat flew off the hook. Jackson sighed and went to go pick up another meat slab.

He stopped.

His body tensed, then went into Ghost Mode. In Ghost Mode, he couldn't touch anything and nothing could touch him. Objects simply phased through him. A black gloved hand swung through his body. Jackson grabbed the arm and pulled it toward him. No matter how much he pulled, the owner of the arm never got any closer.

He flipped around to face his attacker. It was a woman with a short ruby bob. her waist was barely the size of a wrist, but her curves were round and full. The woman's eyes were cold. She wore a red suit with black gloves and boots. A familiar logo was featured in the center of her chest. An 'I'.

"Mrs. Incredible," Jackson said to no one in particular.

Mrs. Incredible didn't respond.

She slunk over to him. Mrs. Incredible arched under and around him. He could barely keep his eyes on her. He needed to concentrate, but she wasn't letting him. He went into Fire Ball Mode.

Mrs. Incredible screamed. The skin on her face elongated and melted off. Jackson didn't have to time to feel accomplished because he was slapped in the face. The slap threw him backwards. He got slapped again, knocking him forward. He was slapped again and again. He barely blinked before another bee sting-like slap hit him. He chose the only mode he could, Laser Mode. The laser flung the kid into a heap on the ground. He was a boy around ten years old with a streak of blond hair topping his head. He had the same suit as Mrs. Incredible did.

Suddenly, he felt his feet float up from under him. It must have been the sister. One never fought without the other. She had him caught in one of her damned force fields. Jackson shifted back into Ghost Mode. The Incredible girl didn't even see him coming. He punched her in the stomach.

Only one more Incredible left to go.

"What have you done with my family?" Mr. Incredible said. Speak of the red-suited devil. Mr. Incredible was the only one who talked.

Jackson changed into Demon Mode. His muscles bulged and rippled under his pale skin which began to change into a dark crimson. Jackson's eyes glowed a bright red. A low guttural growl came out of his mouth. He charged at Mr. Incredible on all fours. Mr. Incredible barely had time to raise his fists before Demon-Jackson attacked him. He punched Mr. Incredible, envisioning that meat bag. Mr. Incredible's cheek caved in then crumbled. His nose bent at an awkward angle. Jackson still didn't let up. Mr. Incredible would pay for what he had done.

"Jack-Jack," Mr. Incredible said. It sounded similar to a dying robot. That was probably because it was. They were all robots.

Jackson's dad walked in from the side door. He opened in his arms wide and pulled Jackson in for a hug.

"You're ready," He announced. He threw a newspaper at his feet. The page was open to a wedding. A Bob Parr was marrying a Mirage. "This is what you have trained for. We will destroy the Incredibles and make them hurt like they hurt me!"

A dark fire burned behind his father's eyes. A fire which Jackson had known to fear and love. He would do anything for his father. If these Incredibles were as bad as his father had told him, they deserved to die. Jackson looked down at the broken bodies of the robots he destroyed. The Incredibles would get what was coming to them. Syndrome and his sidekick, Syntax would make sure of it.

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**Don't forget to Review!**

**Next chapter will focus on Mr. Incredible, Mirage, and maybe Frozone. **


	4. The Wedding

**After a long two weeks, I have finally found the time to update this. Hopefully, you guys are still here. **

**Finally, the moment you've all been waiting for. The Wedding. **

**Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN THE INCREDIBLES**

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_2 years ago..._

_Mr. Incredible's buzzer went off. _

"_Mr. Incredible, it's me." It had been a long time since he had heard that voice. It was just as sultry and seductive as he remembered. _

"_Come up," he answered. He straightened the room. It was a true man cave. He rarely got any female visitors anymore. He only had two women in his life, and he had lost them. His wife had divorced him and his daughter blamed him for the divorce. He had an apartment all to himself. All by himself. On the brightside, he never had to put the toilet seat down._

_There was a knock at the door. _

_He opened it, trying to be suave. _

_A woman with platinum blond hair and tan skin stood on the other side. _

"_Hello, Mr. Incredible," Mirage said. "I need your help."_

"_Uncontrollable robots," he chuckled. _

"_No, something not quite as deadly," she smiled. She peeked over his shoulder. "Nice place. Mind if I come in?"_

Now...

Bob Parr straightened his tie.

"Haha, my man," Lucius's boisterous laughter filled the room. Lucius's brown, skinny head popped up next to his own. Not for the first time, he wondered how they had become friends. They were nothing alike. Frozone was lanky, dark skinned, and uptight. Mr. Incredible was all muscle and hubris. The truth was that Bob needed Lucius to talk him out of his dumb ideas, and Lucius needed Bob to get him to have fun and try crazy things.

"Lucius," he smiled. Lucius always knew when to calm him down whenever he was feeling anxious. "Be honest, how do I look?"

"Awful, so the same," Lucius playfully punched him on the arm. Bob fake winced. He punched Lucius back. Lucius doubled over. Unlike Bob, he wasn't faking.

"Aw, that hurt," Bob joked. It actually did seem a little harder than usual. "You been working out?"

"It's the bowling," Lucius flexed his wimpy little arm. Bob rolled his eyes. "I'm serious, man."

Lucius had taken up bowling sometime after supers became legal. He hung up his suit, saying something about finally doing what his wife thought he was doing. Now he was a pro bowler, and Bob never let him hear the end of it.

There was a soft knock at the door. Bob opened it.

"Mr. Incredible, I need your help," Mirage said, grinning. She was in a floor length gown.

"Uncontrollable robots," he chuckled, remembering the night he had taken notice of Mirage for the first time.

"No, something much more deadly," She leaned in and kissed him. Mr. Incredible felt his recent anxiety melt away for the time being.

"Hey, save that for the wedding," Lucius said, peeking over Bob's shoulder. "Don't you know it's bad luck to see the bride before the wedding."

Lucius shooed Mirage away from the door. She threw Bob a kiss over her shoulder. Bob just gazed at her, while she slunk away.

Bob fidgeted in his tux. He felt so hot and cramped. His pecs were practically bursting out of his shirt.

The church was filled with tons of people, supers, non supers, and retired supers alike. It was a large cathedral with high vaults and flying buttresses. Large stained glass windows decorated the walls. It reminded him of his last wedding. At least this time he was on time.

He gulped, gazing out at the audience. _If there ever was a time to get nervous._ There were so many people counting on him. His best man, Frozone, beside him. His daughter, though she had refused to be in the wedding, was seated in the front row. Dash had slipped in through the back a couple of minutes ago. Even Edna had come to support him. And most importantly, there was the love of his life standing across from him. She looked perfect, angelic even. Her veil made a halo around his head.

"Do you, Mirage, take Bob Parr to be your lawfully wedded husband to have and to hold in sickness and in health?"

"I-" Mirage was cut off.

"I object," a man from the audience said. He used a horrible Texan accent. The audience gasped. Everyone was in shock- well almost everyone. There, before them, was Syndrome. That same villain who had escaped all those years ago. No one moved. No one said anything. Who would in the presence of a ghost?

Syndrome floated above the crowd toward the couple, with his familiar 'S' marked suit. Syndrome loved the absolute attention he received from the crowd. He reveled in it. _Oh this is just too good! Monologue time! _

"You've been very naughty. Both if you. Mirage, you broke all of my toys. Now no one else gets a chance to be super. Pity. Mr. Incredible, you took my love," his lips curled in an off balance way. "But you have a chance to make amends. Come with me, Mirage."

Mirage shook her head.

"Then know that because of you these people will die. One more time, come with me."

"No," she said, defiance rolling off of her. She was still the feisty firecracker that Syndrome remembered.

"They're on your head," he shrugged and backed away. "I loved you."

He snapped back around, and pointed his new death ray at Mr. Incredible.

Zap!

Mirage leaped in the way. Her eyes widened, and she dropped.

"Mirage!" someone screamed. It was hard to decipher the voice from all the screams.

Violet threw a force field over Mirage and her father. The ray bounced off the force field, over the crowd, and on the ceiling. The roof began to quiver and shake. A large plank fell from the rafters and crushed Lucius.

A child cried.

Violet saw a flicker of red hair. It was nice and clean cut, but there was one single strand of hair sticking up. It reminded her of the family portrait. It looked just like- like Jack-Jack. It couldn't have. No. Jack-Jack was dead. Violet knew it couldn't have been him, but she found her eyes fixed on that strand of hair.

"Violet!" A gush of wind whipped her hair back.

"Violet!" Not a second later, it whipped back forward.

Dash was carrying people to the exits.

"Get yourself together," a pint sized woman scolded her. It was harsh, but still got the message across. Violet used her force field to create a majeshift roof over the heads of the people.

Bob held Mirage in his arms. The threat of tears burnes in the back of his eyes. He watched as Mirage's life seeped out before his eyes. Her deep tan faded into a pale white. Her skin was growing clammy. It reminded him of the day he had found her. It was sometime after the volcano eruption. He had been looking for any remnants of Jack-Jack. Instead, he had found Mirage hanging on to a plank of wood a mile out from the island. She had looked somewhat like this. Weak. He didn't want to look at her, not like this.

"Hey," Mirage said, her voice somehow still strong.

"I can't lose you," he said.

"Shh... Shh..." she quieted him. "I do."

That's all she said and that's all she had to say. She cosed her eyes and breathed her last breath. Mr. Incredible pressed his lips against hers, frantically. He hoped, he needed to make their marriage final.

The building rumbled around the two. All who remained in the Church watched Mirage die. No one dared disturb them. Syndrome watched them with hate in his eyes. He wanted to think that it was directed to Mr. Incredible for not getting shot or that it was directed to Mirage for foiling his plans once again, but it wasn't. He loved Mirage. He always had. This hate, this burning sensation he felt eating away at his core, was for himself. Syndrome hated himself. Syndrome hated himself. He had killed the woman he loved, not Mr. Incredible. It just proved that he didn't deserve Mirage. That made Syndrome hate himself even more. Syndrome hated that he hated.

So as the Church crumbled around him and Violet let down the force field, Syndrome stayed. He stayed, buried in his own hate

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**I hoped you liked it. If not, review. If you did, review. Review. Review. Review. **

**More chapters to come. The next will deal with the aftermath.**


	5. Kidnapped

**Next installment! It's kind of short, but I needed an introduction for the next chapter where everything comes to a head (TeeHee head... I'm so mature). Enjoy and don't forget to review or Santa Claus will come find you 0.0 **

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Trikey opened the door beer in hand.

"Dude, what took you so long?" Trikey asked. He offered Dash a drink, but he shook his head. For the first time in a long time, Dash was tired. He slumped down onto the couch. Trikey shrugged and cracked open the beer for himself.

"So what happened?" Trikey said between gulps.

"I... Wedding... Syndrome... Dead... Building... Saved... Fast," Dashiell spoke rapidly. Those were the only words Trikey was able to pick up.

"Sounded wicked, brah. This Syndrome guy wasn't he supposed to be dead?" he asked. He always knew just the right questions to ask.

"Yeah, well now he is. He didn't make it out," Dash said in a quiet voice. Trikey could tell he was thinking about something.

"You don't think that means..." he trailed off. They both glanced up at each other. Yes, Dash did think it meant that.

There was a knock at the door.

"Must be the pizza guy," Trikey broke the silence. He went to the door of their apartment, while Dash pondered what had happened that day. He liked Mirage. She was pretty cool. She was the one who taught him how to properly steal from a bank. She'd always remind him not to take consecutive bills, otherwise the police would be able to track him. Now she was dead.

"Hey, Trikes, you better not be scarfing down those pizzas, or I'm using you as police bait," he called. Trikey didn't respond. Dash got a weird feeling. He sped to the door. There was some guy in a handmade supersuit. There was no pizza.

Instead, the guy had Trikey knocked out in his arms.

A large "S" marked the guy's shirt just like Syndrome's costume. Dash almost thought that this guy was his clone, except for two things. This guy looked about 14 years old and he had his dad's eyes.

Dash ran at the Syndrome wannabe full speed. He clanged into what felt like steel. A vibration ran through Dash's spine. He thought he felt his spine crack in and out of wobbled then fell to the ground.

"Lights out, Dash," the wannabe Syndrome whispered in his ear.

When Dash woke up, Violet was standing over him with pizza in her arms.

"I forgot you talked in your sleep," she marvelled. Her face turned serious when she saw the large bruise on Dash's head. "It looks like you ran into a truck."

"Something like that," he muttered. She handed him an ice pack and looked somewhere off into the distance when he told her what happened.

Violet burst into her mother's house. She went straight for the bedroom where she knew her mother would be.

"Hey, mom," Violet said.

"Oh Vi! If I had known you were coming, I would have made some lemonade," her mother stood abruptly. She hid her gaze. They each faced the other awkwardly. Violet wore her supersuit. She had not even removed her mask. Her mother was in her robe. Her hair was askew. In her hand, was Jack-Jack's binky and his super suit. This

was a complete breach of their unspoken agreement. Violet was not supposed to visit her mother without her knowing at least a day before.

Violet wasn't to see her mother like this, and her mother wasn't to see her like that.

"How's Dash?" her mother tried to restore the normalcy. "Vi, how's Dash?"

Then, as Violet heard the desperation seeping out of her mother's voice, Violet crumbled.

"Bad. Everyone's bad, Mom. Dash is a villain. He has been for years. Dad and Mirage had their wedding yesterday, and Syndrome came. Mirage is dead, Dad's a wreck, Lucius is in the hospital with a coma, Dash's roommate is missing, I found Dash unconscious yesterday, and I just- I just can't anymore. I need you," Violet was sobbing.

"Shh," Helen murmured and Violet did. They sat like that for a while. Her mother's arms wrapped around her.

"The kid who took Dash's roommate left a note," Violet said. She gave her mother the note.

Her mother's eyebrows knotted in that way that said she was working out a problem. It reminded Violet of the old Helen.

"Incredibles, meet me on the corner of fifth tonight or your friend dies~Syntax," Helen looked up. Violet held out her Incredible suit.

"We need you, mom," Violet stood to go.

"Who's Syntax?" her mother asked, but Violet could see her falling back into her own little world. Her eyes were already beginning to glaze over. Violet was so close, and she didn't want to lose her now.

"I don't know, but according to Dash, he has Dad's eyes," Violet said. She left her mother with that.

Helen's gaze was fixed itself on the family portrait from 13 years ago. Jack-Jack's innocent eyes connecting with her own. Helen weeped, tears of joy flowing down her face.


	6. The Meeting

**It's been a while. I hope you guys are still there. Don't forget to review!**

* * *

**Bob and Mirage's Super Consultant Agency.**

_**We help you transition into the retired hero life.**_

Bob admired the sign before unscrewing the nails. He was going to miss this place.

"Bob." He turned to see Rick Dickers on the ground. He looked just as morbid as he used to. Bob could swear that that man never aged. "We need to talk."

Talk? That was never good. Bob walked down the ladder rungs. He clasped his hands with Rick's.

"What's going on, Rick?"

"We tried to contact Helen first, but she wasn't home." That struck Bob as odd. Helen was always home, especially nowadays. "We investigated Syndrome's location. We thought we'd frozen all his accounts thirteen years ago. Turns out we forgot the one account that every man has. His mother's. He's been living in his mother's basement, but that's not it. He wasn't alone."

Rick handed him plastic evidence bags. One had a binky in it. Another had a picture of a kid.

"We found clothing, too. We cross referenced that binky with the one of your son. Perfect match. Bob, your son isn't dead."

Bob stared off into the sunset, wondering what this meant. For the first time since Mirage's death, he felt the strange sensation of hope.

"Oh and Bob," Rick started. Bob looked at him. "I'm sorry for your loss."

Bob nodded.

Violet saddled up next to Dash. His eyes were fixed on the street corner down the block.

"I almost thought you weren't going to come," he commented, eyes never leaving that point.

"And let some kid beat up on my little brother? I don't think so. That's my job," Violet smiled. "I had to check in somewhere." Dash didn't say anything.

He stripped out of his civvies to reveal a bold red suit with a yellow 'i' ono its chest.

"You look good," Violet said. trying and failing to hide her glee.

"Yeah, well. According to Edna, retro is in and old is the new new," he shrugged.

It had been a while since Dash had worn the suit. Thirteen years is a lot of time. Dash had doubled in size. His blond hair strung down into his eyes. He wasn't fat or bulky, and the suit accented this by revealing his lean frame.

"It's time," Violet checked behind her shoulder, hoping that her mom may have changed her mind. No sign her. Violet sighed and followed Dash into the faint glow of the street lamp. Violet peered into the darkness.

"I think I-"

A hunched figure appeared near the lamp, but it didn't come any closer. It lifted its head slightly.

"Trikey!" Dash said. Trikey's pale face practically glowed in the light. He was like a caged bird, his eyes squirting from side to side. His expression pained Violet. What had this kid done to him? His mouth opened, then shut just as quickly. Dash took a faulty step toward him. He shook his head from left to right and stepped back into the shadows.

That's when the lights cut off. Dash pressed his back up against Violet's. It felt natural.

"You look better with the lights off," Dash whispered.

"Shut up, you little insect," She bit back. She was happy for the normal banter.

A tiny light to the left quieted Dash's response. It flickered between orange and yellow. As it came closer, they were able to see that it was a flame and it wasn't tiny at all. In the center was a teenager. The flames seemed to be consuming him. Where his eyes and nose should have been, were gaping holes.

"Oh my god!" Violet gasped. Dash ran up to the flame. Violet trailed close behind.

"Quick! Stop, drop, and roll!" Dash remembered his flame resistant suit. He didn't know if it would be enough to douse the flames. He embraced the burning person.

"Wait a second," Violet slowed her run. "The flames, they're coming from h-"

A laser shot her in the stomach, cutting off her epiphany.

"Vi?" Dash looked back. He could barely make out anything in the light. Luckily, the lights chose that moment to turn back on.

The burning kid grabbed his neck. Dash struggled. The kid's flames slowly went away and were replaced by troll skin. A massive red monster took the kid's place. Dash felt himself losing the fight. The monster began to repeatedly strike Dash. Each hit felt like a ripple going through his body. His nose crunched under the monster's fist. His vision faded in and out.

Pang!

There was a pause between punches

Pang!

Pang!

Pang!

Pang!

Dash strained to open an eye. The monster was punching him, but none of the hits were connecting. He twisted around and saw Violet climbing to her feet. One of her hands protected her wounded stomach, while the other stretched out toward Dash.

The monster roared, then shifted into Syntax. A blue substance surrounded his fist. That couldn't be good. Dash leaned away. The fist moved through Violet's force field. It would've connected with Dash's face, but Syntax had made a mistake. He hadn't just phased his hand, but his entire body. Dash was able to slip through through his other hand.

"What now?" Dash asked, running up to Violet. His body had already started the healing process. A perk to being fast was that everything was fast, including cell regeneration. Violet checked her wound. The laser had only brushed her stomach before she was able to set up the field.

"I don't know. He seems to have played most of his cards," she calculated. "So far we know he has laser vision, can phase through solid objects, turn into a troll monster-"

"Turn into steel," Dash offered, rubbing his head.

"But it doesn't seem like he can use them at the same time," she continued.

"So?"

"So he could easily defeat us separately," Violet waited for him to catch on.

"But together he won't be able to attack us effectively," Dash finished for her. They smiled at each other, knowingly.

"Hello? Revenge-seeking supervillain who kidnapped your friend over here," Syntax waved.

Dash ran around him in circles. Violet faded out of view. He had to choose. Violet or Dash? The invisible one or the speedster? Search or fight? Who would make better bait? He decided on Dash. He fired a laser in Dash's path.

"Wrong choice," Violet said. Her body formed around Dash's. She had created a force field ball for Dash to run in. The laser bounced back into Syntax. He fell to the ground.

Dash picked him up and rapidly punched him. Syntax moaned.

"Where's Trikey?" Dash yelled. Syntax laughed.

"He asked you a question," Violet said.

"Is that really what you want to know?" a dazed smile passed over his face. He stretched out his hand. A gps marked three blinking dots. "Three people you care about who are you going to save? The countdown begins." Syntax passed out.

Violet and Dash looked at each other and at the gps.

"Bomb," they both mouthed, neither wanting to speak it out loud.


	7. Bomb

Invisibility. That was Violet's power, but for some reason it had become a trait. So as she crept around the theater following the GPS tracker, she didn't even have to use her power. The people simply didn't see her. She couldn't blame them. Her parents and teachers had been the same way, looking through her, but never really caring enough to see her. Violet could not remember when it had started, only the day she first realized that she, Violet, was the only person able to change it.

10 years ago...

The car slowed to a stop. Violet lifted her head, peering through her deep purple curtain of hair out the window. A large gray box of a building loomed behind a daunting wired fence. Violet glanced at her brochure. Kids smiled happily back at her under a logo that read: HAAPY: Harnessing the Abilities and Attributes of Powered Youth. Have a HAAPY day!

The car rolled through the open gate. Violet began to fidget with her gage.

"This is your HAAPY supervisor speaking, HAAPY campers take your glutes and line them up with a bunk!" A large man's booming voice resounded through a horn. He didn't look very happy to Violet.

"Trust me, this change of scenery will stop all that... behavior," her overly bubbly guidance counselor assured her were too busy glaring at each other to even comment. Her parents had been arguing about what Violet should do over the summer. Her father had wanted her to spend the summer working, while her mother had wanted her to go to a lax summer camp. So naturally, they chose neither.

"Go pack your things, Vi," her mother said, eyes never leaving her fathers.

Funny how somewhere over the last six months they had stopped asking her for her input. She got out of the car and followed the stream of unhappy campers to the barracks.

Violet set her suitcase down on the cold white linoleum floor. She unzipped it and began throwing whatever she could get her hands on toward the door. She sat down on her bunk and finally let the tears come out.

A hand rested on her shoulder. She raised her head and was met with striking green eyes. A girl with deep red hair smile down at her.

"Hey... Hey... I'll give you the top bunk if the bottom is such a problem," the girl said. Violet forced a smile. The girl wrapped her arms around her. "Tell the witch girl what's going on."

"It's my birthday."

"Well, have a HAAPY birthday," the girl said using the general's harsh voice.

Violet was invisible then and she was invisible now. She glanced back at a guy with a cap. He sat awkwardly with his chest jutted forward. She walked slowly over to him and reached for the zipper on his jacket. She did it cautiously, so he wouldn't notice. Inch by inch. Violet bit her lip.

"Bomb! Everyone get out!" The lights went up and a blur of red and yellow zipped through the theater. Everyone began screaming and running to the nearest exit. Violet looked back and the guy with the cap had already begun to leave the the theater.

"Wait," she yelled. It was no use. Everyone was screaming and rushing. No one would listen to her. The crowd was pushing her further away. She felt the bodies suck her in. Somehow she tripped and all of a sudden feet were on top of her, crushing her into the ground. The GPS fell out of her was followed by a loud crunch. She crawled to an open door.

The bathroom's linoleum tiles welcomed her. As she sat there, the gravity of the situation hit her. Everyone had evacuated. The bomber hadn't been found. The GPS was destroyed and they still had two more bombs to locate. Dash burst in.

"Did you find him?" he asked. His blond hair was swept back.

"Does it look like I found him?" She bit back.

"No need to get snippy."

"Snippy? The bomb is about to go off any second and thanks to you, we have no chance of finding it. This is the perfect time to get snippy!" Violet yelled, pushing herself to her feet.

"Like your method was working any better. The bomb would have already went off by the time you found the bomber!"

"So you decided to yell bomb in a crowded theater?!"

"To save those people's lives!" Dash yelled back.

"Yeah, well who's gonna save the bombers' lives?" She gestured to the crushed GPS. "All you did was cause a panic. Hell, I was even scared, and I'm practically invincible."

"We can still find it," Dash said in a small voice. They were silent.

The sound of crying penetrated the silence. They both turned to the handicapped stall. The crying continued.

Dash looked to Violet. Violet nodded. Dash kicked down the door. In the corner, next to the toilet was Trikey. His auburn hair was plastered to his face with sweat. Tear tracks ran down his face. Dash moved to hug him, but Violet stopped him with a force field.

"Let me handle this," Violet said. She walked closer to Trikey. He scooted away.

"Bomb," he said.

"I know. I'm here to help," she spoke in a soothing voice. Trikey seemed to accept this and shut his eyes. Violet observed the bomb jacket. Bombs were laced on his chest and back. There were a lot of wires that she didn't know a lot about. She began forming a force field around the bomb, careful not to include any of Trikey. She only wanted the bomb. She moved her hands up. The jacket moved from around Trikey's arms and lifted from around his head. Soon it hovered above all of their heads. Dash darted in and grabbed Trikey. Violet compressed the forcefield.

Seconds later a bright flame encompassed the force field. Violet let the field go.

"It's done," she said.

"Shit," Trikey said. His eyes rolled to the back of his head. They fanned him as they ran outside. Dash laid Trikey down.

"You think you can make it?" Dash asked. Trikey nodded.

A bell chimed. One. Two. Three. Four. Five times. 5 o' clock.

"We're going to have to split up," Violet said. "From what I remember, one is in the graveyard and the other is in the hospital."

"Rock, paper, scissors?" Dash suggested. He won. "Hospital."

He whisked away. Violet headed the opposite direction, toward the cemetery. She knew exactly where to go. Mirage's funeral had only been yesterday.


End file.
